Process for obtaining potassium chloride
View Patent ↗Aspects of the present invention relate to a process to obtain potassium chloride that includes submitting brine to concentration, separating brine after concentration, resulting in a first solid content and a first liquid content, cooling the first liquid content, separating the first liquid content after cooling, thus resulting in a second solid content and a second liquid content, enriching the second solid content, and separating the second solid content after enrichment, thus resulting in a third solid content and a third liquid content. Aspects of this process are environmentally safe, as the process includes stages using solvents and equipment which does not harm the environment. Moreover, aspects of this process present a significant energy consumption reduction.
1. A process for obtaining potassium chloride, comprising steps a)-f), in order:
a) submitting a brine to concentration, wherein the brine is a carnallite brine;
b) separating the brine after concentration resulting in a first solid content and a first liquid content;
c) cooling the first liquid content;
d) separating the first liquid content after cooling, thus resulting in a second solid content and a second liquid content;
e) enriching the second solid content; and
f) separating the second solid content after enrichment, thus resulting in a third solid content and a third liquid content.
2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein submitting the brine to concentration is performed through multistage evaporation.
3. A process for obtaining potassium chloride, comprising:
a) submitting a brine to concentration;
b) separating the brine after concentration resulting in a first solid content and a first liquid content;
c) cooling the first liquid content;
d) separating the first liquid content after cooling, thus resulting in a second solid content and a second liquid content;
e) enriching the second solid content; and
f) separating the second solid content after enrichment, thus resulting in a third solid content and a third liquid content, wherein submitting the brine to concentration is performed through thermal vapor recompression (TVR).
4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein submitting the brine to concentration is performed through evaporation by mechanical vapor recompression (MVR).
5. The process according to claim 3 , wherein submitting the brine to concentration is performed through combinations between operations of multistage evaporation and thermal vapor recompression (TVR).
6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein submitting the brine to concentration is performed through a combination of operations of multistage evaporation and evaporation by mechanical vapor recompression (MVR).
7. The process according to claim 3 , wherein submitting the brine to concentration is performed through a combination of operations of thermal vapor recompression (TVR) and evaporation by mechanical vapor recompression (MVR).
8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein cooling the first liquid content is carried out through vacuum cooling.
9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein cooling the first liquid content is carried out through cooling by means of heat exchangers.
10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein cooling the first liquid content is carried out through a combination between vacuum cooling and cooling through heat exchangers.
11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein enriching the second solid content is carried out through cold leaching with water.
12. The process according to claim 1 , wherein enriching the second solid content is carried out through direct flotation of potassium chloride.
13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein enriching the second solid content is carried out through elutriation.
14. A process for obtaining potassium chloride, comprising:
a) submitting a brine to concentration;
b) separating the brine after concentration resulting in a first solid content and a first liquid content;
c) cooling the first liquid content;
d) separating the first liquid content after cooling, thus resulting in a second solid content and a second liquid content;
e) enriching the second solid content; and
f) separating the second solid content after enrichment, thus resulting in a third solid content and a third liquid content,
wherein enriching the second solid content is carried out through a combination of operations of multistage evaporation and thermal vapor recompression (TVR), and operations of multistage evaporation and evaporation by mechanical vapor recompression (MVR).
15. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising, prior to submitting the brine to concentration, performing a brine preheating stage.
16. The process according to claim 15 , wherein the brine preheating is performed by surface condensers.
17. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the separating steps b), d) and f) comprises separating solid and liquid using centrifugation or filtration.